House on the Bay
by DarkSkull43
Summary: When the world, and the very souls of men are in danger, it will take an unlikely group, all of them from different worlds and lives, to stop it. I OWN NOTHING! ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!
1. Chapter 1

The moon's bright glow pierced through the night sky, reflecting its light upon the city streets. It was a foggy night, but clear skies made it possible for the stars to shine and the moon to guide travelers through the night.

The city was alive, even at the late hour. Men and women crowded the streets. Model T's and other ancient cars whizzed passed each other while a lone policeman directed traffic. From the east, one could see the untouched plains, wild and free. To the west, one could see smoke billowing out of the factory chimneys, still alive and active during the darkness of night.

The city itself, Drum Blossom City, was hexagonal shaped when viewed from above. The city, as a whole, was pretty peaceful and clean. It wasn't a perfect utopia; no major city is perfect after all. It had its crime; it's gangs, drugs, prostitutes, etc., but all of this did not define the city.

In the center of this sprawling urban center was an enormous 30-meter tall fountain that reflected the lights of the surrounding city to cast a brilliantly beautiful array of lights. The beauty and magnificence of the fountain helped to imbed the surrounding park with a sense of calm and kindness. Not many truly witnessed its beauty with only small numbers of visitors, yet there was one person not far off from it that night.

Walking by herself in a relatively quiet area near that fountain was a woman with long blonde hair and green eyes. She was in her early 30's and wore a long, blood red trench coat with a little black dress underneath. Her name was Lisa. Lisa was relatively ordinary. She had a small group of close friends and was considered rather quiet. She had just left the club after a celebration with her friends in honor of Lisa's new promotion to the executive manager position at E-Ronx, a billion dollar advertising company. It was 12:30 am, and she was heading home to get ready for her parents, who were dropping in for a visit the next day. She turned left down Dalto Street, a right on 3rd, a left on 2nd, and then had to stop at the intersection of 1st and Zorren Road to wait for traffic.

Despite the clear, normal night, a shadowed figure lurked in the alleyways adjacent to the intersection. Unnoticed by Lisa, who was standing patiently by the crosswalk, the figure walked stealthily out of the shadowed alleyway towards her. The shadowy figure came up behind her, leaned in close to her ear, and questioned in a whispery laugh, "Can I help you with anything ma'am?"

Lisa jumped at the sudden voice, eyes widening in shock, as she started to whirl around. But before she was completely facing the shadow, she was clubbed over the head and darkness took her.

Lisa groggily shifted her arm under head before opening her eyes slightly. As she viewed the unfamiliar darkness before her, her eyes opened wide in panic as she began to remember what had happened. 'Where am I? What the hell is going on?! Who the hell just kidnapped me? What the fuck is going on?' she thought in a flurry of questions. She kept herself still and proceeded to look around the room. Lisa waited for her eyes to adjust, blinking hard, and became even more terrified, as she took in the sight before her. She was in a cell, not a modern day jail cell, but one that was more akin to a medieval dungeon.

The room was fairly large with no windows and two large iron doors separating her from the light of the sun. Near the middle of the room was a puddle, which must've been created due to a leak in the roof. She looked up and witnessed the water dripping at a slow, yet constant rate.

Lisa tried to sit up, bracing her hands against the floor. She pushed herself into a sitting position and started to stand before the room around her started to spin. Her hand settled on her head as she slipped back onto the ground, still too groggy to stand. She groaned thinking, 'These high heels definitely don't help the situation,' before she shucked them off and pulled her coat tighter around her to keep out the chill. She sat in the back corner of the room and scanned the cell. The room was empty, not a soul in sight. Lisa's eyes were soon drawn to her right in a darker corner of the cell. Something was visible just barely peeking from the shadows. She maneuvered herself to get a better view, slowly sliding on the cold stone. Her hand suddenly flew to her mouth as a rotting corpse came into view. The gruesome sight and smell immediately woke up her groggy mind. Lisa barely choked back a scream. Losing all semblance of composure, she turned away and pushed herself to her feet, dashing unsteadily for the doors. When she had nearly made it to the doors, they suddenly swung open with tremendous force, barely missing her.

A shadowy figure walked into the room, still indefinable and hard to make out in the darkness. He moved with such stillness that he seemed to float towards Lisa. It had broad shoulders and was substantially taller than her. As the creature, moved closer to her she was able to identify basic facial features. She fearfully stared at him, backing away slowly, as he slipped into a toothy, wide grin at the sight of her trembling. His eyes gleamed with madness, as he stood directly in front of her.

"The master is ready for you" he chuckled gleefully.

Before Lisa could protest, the man threw a canvas bag over her head and lifted her up on his shoulder. Lisa flailed wildly upon his shoulder, demanding to be released in the haze of her panic. Yet, her struggles seemed to be for nothing, as he merely shifted her slightly and continued on to wherever they were going. Eventually, Lisa stopped her rebellion to better conserve her strength, as she fearfully pondered her uncertain future. Suddenly she felt the shadow man shift her weight as he closed the cell door with a dull thud. Then she was taken down what seemed like a long, never-ending, hallway. The only thing on in mind was fear, fear of what was waiting for her, fear of what would happen to her, and slight embarrassment in the back of her mind due to the revealing position the shadow man was carrying her in. The trip to their destination dragged on for what seemed to be eternity, before she heard the sound of doors being swung open. Then she was practically thrown into a chair. She yelped in surprise and pain as the bag was ripped off of her head, revealing a blinding light. Lisa narrowed her eyes, blinking rapidly to help adjust to the light. When her eyes finally adjusted completely to her new, bright, and exceedingly better, setting, she gasped, not believing her eyes. The room was beautiful in every way. It had elegant white walls and marble floors. It looked like it was a compilation of the most elegant mansions in the entire world. On the wall to her left was a giant mural. It depicted a rustic medieval village. On the right wall were many golden awards on top of a large fireplace that was roaring happily. As flames danced on the wood and embers glowed beneath it, a brilliant red, the light reflected on the gleaming surfaces of the trophies, happily shining. Lisa was sitting at one end of a long, mahogany table, loaded with mouthwatering food, fine wine, beautiful dishes and silverware. On the opposite side of the table was a giant red curtain, like that of an old theater, and there, sitting at the table, was whom she assumed was the so-called "Master".

The "Master" had a long shaped head and was every form of elegant. He wore a crisp black suit and a red tie. His facial features were just as polished and perfect as the rest of him. He seemed to be quite strong with significant muscle built up in his arms. The only thing out of place was his messy, unbrushed hair and the steam-punk style goggles on his forehead. A red silk napkin was tucked into the neck of his suit, and he was eating a portion of the massive turkey in the center of the table. When he finally noticed her, a sniveling, untrustworthy smile lit up his face.

He put down his utensils and wiped his mouth before he spoke excitedly to her, "Ah! So we finally meet, Mein kleines Spielzeug."

'Mein kleines Spielzeug?,' Lisa thought, 'What in the world did that mean?'

"I'm sorry for your stay in the dungeon and the rude behavior of my subordinate," he continued at the same time coldly eyeing his shadow servant, who was standing in the corner of the room. The servant in turn stared at Lisa. "He is not the smartest. Dropped on his head when he was but a baby, but his strength and loyalty are nevertheless great assets to me," he said distractedly.

She tried to speak, tried to interrogate this "Master" on the fact that she was just kidnapped, but every time he completely cut her off. He talked with her about multiple things, politics, religion, even the weather was brought up for a short time. 'This is completely ridiculous,' she thought exasperated as she stared at the rambling man before her. She looked around discreetly looking for somewhere she could run to get away, but the shadow man was standing guard at the door. She knew she wouldn't be able to get past him. Lisa turned her attention back to the table and the man that apparently wanted her for something enough that he had kidnapped her. She was still completely pissed and terrified about her current situation but there was something inside of her that warned her that this seemingly harmless man was more dangerous than she seemed, so she decided that she would play along until a better chance to escape would come about.

She looked down at the spread before her and realized just how hungry she was. She glanced at the weird man before her who was still eating even as he talked. The food looked amazing, as her stomach grumbled disgruntledly. 'Well,' she thought hesitantly, 'if he's eating it, then it must not be poisoned at least...And I'd rather not die on an empty stomach... Oh, what the hell! Why not?' Lisa then proceeded to load up her plate with the wide variety of food. Everything was perfect. The turkey was plump and juicy, and the wine was some of the best wine she had ever tasted. Lisa gobbled down the food with little consideration for manners, as she calmed down. She continued to eye the man across from her nervously.

"Mein kleines Spielzeug, what are your dreams? What do you strive for in life? Your goal, your passion?" man enquired abruptly, forcing Lisa to tune back into his ramblings.

She opened her mouth hesitantly, ready to reply, when he cut her off again, "For me, I was inspired by my past. My childhood was not a very pleasant one to say the least. My parents were abusive and the other children shunned me. It was not an easy life."

There was a flicker of sadness in his eyes for a split second, making Lisa almost feel sorry for the man.

"After school," he continued, his eyes staring off into the distance, as though he was transported back to whatever he was thinking about, "I traveled the world, dabbled in stocks, and made a life for myself. But even with the wealth I gained, I felt lonely. The insults of the past still haunted me. That is when I realized that the insults never left!" he suddenly yelled, anger and grief in his voice.. He started to become hysterical, getting up from the table and agitatedly pacing and forth while tugging at this hair.

"They never stopped laughing, never stopped teasing me, looking down upon me! They all thought I was weak!" he shouted bringing his fists down hard upon the table, making Lisa gasp in fear at his anger.

He gasped for air, trying to control himself. His breathing was hard, his face red, and his fingers twitched at an uneven pace upon the table. The crazed man continued to stare down at the dark surface of the table until he finally snapped his head up and stared at Lisa coldly.

He spoke with a hard, determined voice, "I vowed that I would show them, humanity, that I was not to be trifled with. I was not to be teased." He stood up, suddenly regaining composure, as a wicked grin suddenly streaked across his face.

His eyes twinkled with a mad light, as he looked upon the woman who had obviously shrunk in her chair, terrified, and spoke, "And now, Mein Spielzeug, I have the means to fulfill this wish."

He gestured towards the doors where the shadow man had another man within his grasp. The poor individual was obviously starving to death and had been tortured awfully. Tears were silently rolling down his gaunt face, as he was brought forward. Lisa looked at him in horror, as he was dragged two feet away from the "Master's" feet.

The "Master" looked down smiling creepily at the weeping man before he looked up at her and began to explain, "You see, Mein kleines Spielzeug, I've discovered the existence of souls, but more importantly, I've discovered their true power and the means to harness said power."

Then, as if on command, eight metallic appendages emerged from a now visible metal object strapped to the "Master's" back. There were four on each side on him. The appendages were long, thin and had weirdly shaped daggers on the ends of them. The blades looked sharp enough to cut through steel, as the blades gleamed with the light of the fireplace. The arms suddenly started to spark and crackle with green electricity dancing about them. The arms looked almost as if it they were alive, waiting to kill, as they flexed and snapped at random. The green light glowed eerily upon the "Master's" face. His eyes darkened, and his face filled with a sadistic menace.

"These blades have been soaked in that very power. Now they are the strongest steel but still as light as a feather. However, their true power is found in the fact that they now have mind, a soul. With a soul comes a purpose for life, which I have also learned to program, and now that purpose is to obey me."

He flicked his head towards the stumbling man, and the talon like arms instantly responded. All 8 blades suddenly plunged into the man's chest. The arms lifted the man up into the air, as he coughed up blood and was barely clinging on to life.

"These soul infused weapons can also harvest other souls after the victim's death," spoke the "Master" cruelly.

The arms then performed the single most gruesome, bloodiest thing Lisa had ever seen. The arms ripped the poor man in half. His organs and blood spilled upon the floor with a terrifying splashing sound. His bones, most broken, clattered to the floor. The skull cracked open upon impact, letting chunks of brain spill out among the rest of the gore. Lisa screamed, gripping the edges of her chair with white knuckles, barely holding back the urge to vomit. The room was silent for a moment. The only sound came from the blood steadily dripping off the "Master's" enchanted blades. Then green smoke started to form around the remains. It started spinning slowly, coalescing in sickening swirls. Then it suddenly began to spin faster and faster. The force of the wind grew. Furniture and smaller items began to fly around the room as the wind gained strength. Lisa's hair blew wildly around her face as the poor girl watched the wind grow, hunkered down, terrified in her chair. The green smoke soon formed a miniature tornado right there in the dining room. The power of the force was incredible, but just as soon as it had started, the tornado suddenly stopped. The smoke disappeared, revealing a bright green orb, hovering motionless above the ground.

The "Master" strode over to the orb from his place next to Lisa and plucked the object from its resting place. He handed it over to his assistant, who left the room with it.

"With these souls, I can create powerful weapons beyond human belief. I can craft objects that defy physics itself. I can give stone, metal, wood, and even the dead life. For example, that chair you're sitting in," he stated pointing to her seat, smirking slightly.

Suddenly, metal braces appeared on the arms and legs of the chair, which clamped down upon her person, restraining her indefinitely. Then out from the sides of the chair, two arms much like the ones the "Master" had, appeared whirling around and creaking beside her. The "Master" began casually walking towards her.

"One of the downsides of this amazing technology is that in order to harvest a soul in a successful capacity, you have to kill said victim in such a manner that it would be impossible to ever resurrect, or save them. Otherwise, they actual wake up the next day, perfectly fine."

One of the blades gently raked her neck with the blunt side of the blade, as if to tease her.

"There's no hard feelings, really, but to complete my goal, sacrifice must be made. You understand, don't you?" he stated darkly as leaned over her, looking into her eyes. He carefully tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear before turning from her.

Her eyes went wide with panic. She didn't understand. She tried to struggle, tried to escape, her muscles straining against the bands. She started screaming hysterically as she realized her inability to break her bonds,

"Please stop! Let go of me! I don't even know you! You can't do this to me!"

Her screams went unanswered, as the "Master" now made his way to the door.

"Mr. Flech, please make sure everything goes accordingly," the "Master" said looking to his servant as he passed by.

The shadowy man grunted, smiling his cracked smile.

The "Master" grinned manically before turning back to the set of doors.

"Ta Ta, Mein kleines Spielzeug," he called teasingly back to the panicking girl, as the doors opened for him.

"Ta Ta, my little plaything."

The doors closed behind him. His laughter and the woman's screams the only sounds left, as he walked away, his eyes and smile gleaming in the darkness


	2. Chapter 2

The sky was clear, not a cloud in sight. The sun shined down upon the massive blue ocean, causing the turquoise depths to twinkle happily. It was a calm day at sea. The waves were nearly nonexistent, leaving the sailors little to worry about.

Miles from the nearest coastline or port, a little sailboat beat against the calm waves. It was a simple oak sailboat, capable of being steered easily by one man. But at the same time, it could probably hold two men comfortably, three at the most. It was a simple rowboat design. There were no cabins or rooms, just a boat with a sail. The sail was also simple. It was attached sturdily to the mast; the white sail was nearly limp with the very gentle wind blowing. On the port side, the name of the ship, The Merry's Son, was engraved into the ship with a small cartoon of a lamb engraved next to it. In fact, the only thing that really stood out about the ship was its flag. It fluttered gently in the wind, almost like it was floating.

It was a Jolly Roger.

For some it was a black, daunting mark of a criminal. For others, it was a symbol of freedom, of adventure, a message that read, 'on this boat are free men. On this boat are pirates.'

The skull that danced in the wind had a purple tinted cross tattooed on its right eye socket and a brown leather eye patch strapped on where the left eye socket was supposed to be. Below its skeleton grin was a set of "cross bones." Except one of the bones normally found on a pirate flag was replaced by a dual edged battle-axe. But what really made the flag stand out were the flames that danced across the skull. It made the image dance like real fire when the sea gave the little ship a stronger breeze to sail with.

Inside the boat was a white male, sleeping soundly with a straw hat resting on his head.

He looked to be in his late teenage years, early 20's. He was wearing black jeans with a hole in the left knee, a simple green shirt a sailor might wear, and a black, leather duster coat, which was merely draped over his shoulders. The straw hat had a black lace that circled the brim of it and looked like something an islander would wear or sell at a market to tourists. A brown, leather belt was strapped around his pants with a belt buckle that featured the same skull that decorated the ship's flag, minus the flames. On his feet were simple, black boot-like shoes.

Leaning beside him was his weapon, a two-handed, dual edged battle-axe that went up to his chest. It had an iron spike sitting in between the two sharp blades. A flame design was engraved into the handle, and a different strange symbol was etched into both sides of the axe head. By the man's feet was a medium sized, treasure chest-looking oak box with a lock on it. The matching key dangled from a small, silver necklace the man hid under his shirt.

The pirate was sound asleep, even when a seagull lit upon the top of the mast and started squawking as loud as its lungs would allow it. The man continued to sleep peacefully.

That is, until a cannon ball splashed into the water right beside The Merry's Son.

He sat up quickly, still a bit drowsy, and lazily yawned as another cannon ball shot echoed, barely missing the ship. After rubbing his eyes some, he looked up and saw a giant American battleship, firing cannon ball after cannon ball, hoping to land a blow to the tiny ship.

"Seriously?" he said sleepily, glaring at the massive ship, "Do they really have to do this in the morning?"

He went to the chest that sat at his feet and pulled out a pouch filled with water and a loaf of bread, which he unhurriedly ate for breakfast. All the while, cannon balls rained down upon him and his small ship.

"Man, these guys really do suck," the man mumbled, still chewing on some bread, as he glanced at the massive war ship unconcerned. "They couldn't hit the broadside of a barn," he chuckled quietly. He finished the loaf and took one last sip of water before standing up.

In that split second a cannonball came whirling at him, the only one that wasn't way off target. The pirate stood unflinchingly before picking up the axe resting beside him and swung it faster than the average human could see and with enough force that he was able to cleave the lead ball in two. The man let his axe dangle loosely in his hand as the two halves of the once singular cannonball fell into the sea.

A smirk appeared on his face as he narrowed his eyes at the warship before him. "All right," he said casually, stretching his arms skyward while hefting the ax, "I'm up for a quick morning workout."

 **On the Warship**

Captain Mark Newgate Delmare walked back and forth, pacing across the dark wood of his ship, as he sometimes did when thinking. His thoughts rolled like the waves that carried him and his crew across the world. Delmare was an honest sailor, clean, professional, and lawful to the core. He was one of a kind, as most of the other higher-ranking Navy officials he had to work with were vile, rude, and corrupt, often abusing their position for profit or more power. The good Captain breathed sigh while watching the pathetic abilities of his crew as the cannons fired. 'What has the U.S Navy become these days?' he thought, disappointed. He looked away from the horrendous display before him and turned his attention to the wanted poster he held in his right hand. It showed a tall, grinning man in a black duster coat wielding a massive axe. The background depicted a bar going quickly up in flames. There was a reward for the man's capture or death under the picture with a price of $15,000.

"So, this is 'Dark Skull Jerry,' huh?" Mark mumbled to himself aloud. "I admit for a major federal fugitive, he sure doesn't know how to lay low. This is his fifth encounter with the navy this month," Mark continued on a little louder, staring at the poster that held this supposedly dangerous criminal.

"Now, that doesn't sound like the captain I serve under," a man replied from behind him, making Mark jump slightly before turning to him. He was slightly taller than mark and had a teasing smirk on his face, as he walked closer to the Captain. His name was Commander Roy Carlstien, the second-in-command on the Washington's Pride.

"The Mark Delmare I know wouldn't take this situation lightly. Nor would he underestimate his opponents," Roy chuckled.

Mark gave him a quick smirk in return, holding up the wanted poster in his hand, "Oh? Then tell me Roy. Do you take this 'Demon' lightly?"

Roy was Mark's closest friend since basic training in the Navy, and even though Mark was a higher rank than Roy, they still treated each other as equals. The crew respected them both equally and never questioned either of their orders. They completely trusted the two of them with their lives.

"To be honest, I do," Roy replied. "Although he's accused of so many crimes, I really can't see how he eludes, battles, and then destroys battleships by himself in a dingy."

Another volley of poorly aimed cannonballs launched into the sea, trying and failing to hit the pathetic excuse for a "ship" that floated not far from them.

Mark laughed at the incredulous look on Roy's face. "Yes, I do see your point, but the fact that so much of this has been said about him only worries me more," Mark said, becoming more serious, as a contemplative look came across his face. Roy looked at his captain closely knowing that he was thinking of every possibility and every outcome involving the peculiar criminal. Mark turned to stare critically at the dingy, voicing his thoughts aloud,

"What tricks or weapons does this lone wolf have that ca-"

Suddenly, Mark's inquiry was cut off by an explosion from the main deck, the blast throwing them off balance for a moment as the ship shook. The men looked up. The main mast was on fire.

"What the hell was that?!" Roy shouted angrily.

Another explosion went off, not on the ship, but a few feet away from the ship's port side. The ship's crew rushed in a panic, trying to put out the flames on the main mast. Mark stood there baffled. "It couldn't be...It's the only explanation...!" Mark trembled. Roy looked at him confused and slightly afraid as the usually fearless captain stared dumbfounded. "What couldn't be?" he asked, still confused as to his friend's mutterings. Mark turned toward his friend, a look of absolute disbelief on his face, "Those were cannonball shots." Roy started to protest, stating that it was impossible. Then he took a closer look at the damage to the mast. He fell to his knees in disbelief.

"How is that even possible?! The ship has no cannons, and even if it did, I doubt they would be big enough to do this much damage!"

Mark turned away from Roy to look at the ship again. The man on the dinghy was now standing up from his previous position where he had at first been sleeping amid the battle. The terrified captain took out his spyglass to take a better look at the man. As soon as he finished adjusting the glass, Mark could see him clearly, to the point that he could see the engraved flame pattern on the battle-axe. He moved the spyglass slowly upwards and locked onto the man's face. A brilliant grin was stretched across it, as though he thought their attack was a mere child's game. The man took notice of Mark watching him and his grin got even brighter. "Dark Skull" then proceeded to take out a handful of sharp-looking, metallic needles from inside his coat and raised his hand, as though he was preparing to throw them. Mark looked on incredulously, 'He couldn't possibly think that he could throw them and hit anything from that distance!'

A second later, he heard some of his men scream out in pain. The worried Captain quickly tucked his spyglass back into his coat and rushed down to the main deck to see what had happened. He crouched down to attend to one of his sailors crying out in pain. The sailor was bleeding out from the left side of his chest where, to the horror of Mark, one of the same needles that "Dark Skull" had handled was sticking out of the poor bastard. In fact, all six of the sailors who cried out were stabbed by the "Demon's" needles.

"He threw them this far with enough power to penetrate their skin..." Mark mumbled to himself in disbelief.

"Well, yes and no. I did throw them, just not as far as you thought I did."

Mark quickly turned to see the face that belonged to voice that had just spoken and saw, yet another, impossibility. Dark Skull was right there, sitting on the railing of the upper deck of the ship. His duster coat swayed in the sea breeze, as he grinned down at the captain with his black laced straw hat and battle-axe in hand. He looked at Mark with a smirk before questioning, "You the captain?" Mark looked up at the man and answered, recovering from his shock, "Yes, I am. Are you the wanted fugitive the Navy has been tracking down for the last five months?" Dark Skull stood up, balanced on the railing, and jumped up six or seven feet in the air before landing crouched safely on the deck. He glanced up at the Captain, a smug smile across his face.

"I am indeed. Although, I prefer the term 'pirate,' if you don't mind."

A crowd soon gathered around the two as the other sailors and crewmen looked down upon the confrontation between the infamous "Dark Skull" and their captain. One of the Mark's navy men called out mockingly to the fugitive, "Don't pirates have, something like, crews? And an actual ship?" All the other crewmen laughed at the spiteful words, except for Mark, who continued to stand in front of his crew, facing the pirate with his arms crossed, a stern look etched on his face.

Dark Skull's face-hardened, his brown eyes glinting angrily. "Are you making fun of my ship?" he asked coldly, his hands tightening upon the large ax.

"Ship?" the sailor chuckled. "That piece of crap can hardly be called a fishing boat!" The statement caused the sailor and his fellow crewmen to only laugh harder at the pathetic pirate.

Suddenly, Dark Skull twitched angrily before appearing right in front of the man that had taunted him. He smacked the laughing man in the face with the blunt side of his axe. The force of his blow caused the poor man to topple overboard into the ocean and, most likely, a watery grave.

At this violent action, Dark Skull heard the cocking of guns and swords being pulled from scabbards as every crewman went on the defensive, very aware of the threat the pirate presented. The pirate slowly turned around, facing the angry crewmen. Every gun was loaded and ready. Every sword was drawn, and all of them were pointing at Dark Skull.

"Now, listen here." Dark Skull continued, the grin still present but tempered by something darker. "I don't really want to kill anybody. It would leave a bad taste in my mouth, but-"

He stepped forward, his muscles bunching as he quickly twirled his axe in his hands. The mass of such a large object moving at such a fast rate produced a heavy breeze that hit the captain, sending his short hair back slightly. Dark Skull stopped twirling after a second, swiftly and elegantly slipping into a "ready to brawl" fighting stance. His feet were placed equally apart with his knees slightly bent. He held his ax in front of him in a defensive position, a manic grin plastered across his face.

"I am also not afraid to kill anyone. Honestly, when it comes to brutally injuring you, block heads, I'm usually more than delighted to."

Suddenly five of the crewmen lunged at him, swords at the ready, hoping to cut him into pieces. But he parried all of them quite easily with his massive axe. Then he proceeded to cut each one of them down with incredible speed. Some of the soldiers with rifles fired at him, but to the surprise of the riflemen, Dark Skull wasn't within their view any more. "Better luck next time, boys," the pirate said from behind them, making them spin around, shocked. Dark Skull swung the blunt side of his axe again, knocking the three of them off the ship and into the water. The battle continued like this for a short time with Dark Skull disappearing and then reappearing only to cut down enemies with lightning quick speeds that would normally be impossible with such a heavy weapon.

Not even Mark, who had grown up studying marksmanship and swordsmanship with his father, eventually earning the top spot in the Naval training, could do anything to stop him. The Captain continued to fight, fully engaged against the otherworldly pirate. Mark extended his arm, slicing downwards from the left, but he was easily countered by Dark Skull's axe. Dark Skull proceeded to push his offensive, swinging from below, he quickly brought his axe upwards. Mark just barely brought his sword up in time to block it. The axe wielding pirate disengaged before swinging downward, attempting to bring the menacingly axe upon the captain's head. Mark blocked his attack, grabbing the sharp edge of his blade with his left hand to help bear the weight of the massive ax. The sheer force of the impact cracked the floorboards surrounding Mark's feet. Feeling the deep cut of the blade into his skin, Mark grimaced and quickly kicked Dark Skull square in the chest, sending him sprawling to the ground, relieving the good captain of the devastating weight of the axe. He saw the opening in the pirate's defense and quickly lunged at him, sword pulled back, ready to give swift justice to the attacker. The captain swung downwards, assured of his victory, only for his sword to connect to the bloody wood deck. Disbelief and anger exploded across his face. He took deep breaths to recover, eyes scanning the surrounding area. There was no Dark Skull to be found.

"You're pretty good, Captain," Dark Skull complimented, "but I need to get going. I'll just help myself to your ship's store of food, treasure, and information. Then I'll be on my way and out of your hair."

The Captain began to spin around, sword swinging in a deadly arc, as he attempted to take out Dark Skull for good. But before his sword could connect to the pirate, the pole of the pirate's axe collided with the right side of Mark's ribcage, sending a crippling pain throughout his body. He let out a broken cry as he flew back against the outer wall of the ship's cabin. The broken Navy captain struggled to get up before collapsing to the floor, defeated. His breath was slow and labored, but he was still very much alive. He shifted slightly on the ground before hissing in pain, realizing he had broken two, maybe three, ribs. Black came into his vision, but he refused to give into the weakness.

Dark Skull looked at the Captain before turning and starting to walk towards the cargo bay. Realizing that the pirate was about to leave, Mark spoke up, coughing roughly as blood pooled in his chest,

"Who are you...and what do you want...?" he muttered, grimacing.

Dark Skull turned and looked at him in confusion. "I just told you. I'm taking your treasure, food, an-"

"That's not what I meant!"

Dark Skull's face-hardened and became serious, understanding what his opponent was talking about. Mark searched the other man's face before continuing on.

"You...You have done this for the twelfth time now, attacking navy ships, and very rarely killing anyone you attack. Then you only take a couple days worth of food and some of the money, valuables, or government files that you can find. In fact, the only crimes you are accused of are your attacks on us... There are no accounts of murder, kidnapping, drug dealing, or any other major crimes connected to you. You just showed up out of nowhere and started wreaking havoc on the U.S. Navy for no apparent reason... So I'll ask again...Who are you, and what do you want?"

Mark stopped to catch his breath after the long-winded monologue, waiting for Dark Skull's response. A solemn look came across the pirate's face as he stayed silent for a moment, seeming to be lost in thought before focusing back on the Captain.

"Have you ever heard of a place known as the Grand Line, Captain?" The sudden response made Mark jump a little from his place on the floor. "No," he said, curiously, "I've never heard the name before in all my life."

Dark Skull nodded, "Indeed. In fact, no man alive knows what I'm talking about. The place has literally faded from this world." Mark tried to sit up further, holding his arm to his protesting ribs. "Literally?" he grunted out, as he pushed himself to stand.

"Yes," Dark Skull continued, turning to face the setting sun, his eyes glazed. "At one point there was a great sea the spanned the entire world. It was like a large ribbon tied to the Earth. It used to wrap around the earth on the equator and was known as the most dangerous sea in the world." Dark Skull turned and looked down at the injured captain. His eyes glowed with a bright fire, as he gestured growing more passionate. His eyes glowed with a bright fire. "But one day it just vanished. Any trace of that wild sea or the islands that were inside of it faded from existence. But I know it's real, and I know it's still out there. My goal is to find and restore the Pirate's Graveyard, the most dangerous sea on the planet, the Grand Line!"

Mark stood there awestruck, but he was still doubtful, his mind whirling with possibilities. 'A missing sea? That is completely ridiculous!" He glanced at the pirate's face, searchingly, and he could tell that Dark Skull was completely serious. The Captain pushed himself off the wall that was supporting him and walked towards Dark Skull, questioning angrily,

"What proof do you have of this Grand Line? And how could your search for it possibly justify all of your crimes?!"

"First off, it doesn't justify my crimes," Dark Skull said seriously, looking towards the setting sun once again, "I'm a pirate. I chose a life free from being ordered around by some king or congress, free to chart my own course in life. At the same time though, it's the life of a criminal where only the strong can survive." He turned to actually to face the challenging gaze of Captain Mark, "As for my proof, that comes from my own body and the history of my family." He proceeded to close his eyes and take a deep breath before vanishing suddenly.

"You see," Dark Skull continued, reappearing behind Mark, startling the Captain, as Mark slowly sat back down with a look of shock on his face, "during the time of the Grand Line, there were very peculiar and magical things in the world. For example, fruits could give its consumer supernatural powers but at the cost of never being able to swim again. These "Devil Fruits", as they were called, are now lost to this world. They faded with the Grand Line. But I managed to find one." He took out a small ball from his coat pocket and threw it up into the air with his right hand. Suddenly it disappeared in midair before appearing above his left hand. He then caught the ball and repeated the mysterious process. "I've eaten the Kieru Kieru no Mi, or the Vanish-Vanish Fruit, and have become a Teleportation Man. I can teleport myself and anything I touch freely at a given range. I can also expand the length of that range through meditation." The pirate proceeded to show off this power by teleporting to the main mast, then the roof of Mark's cabin, all the while still teleporting/throwing the ball in his hands. He then reappeared sitting next to the injured Naval captain, who looked at the pirate in disbelief. "I also have documents and maps from my ancestor who sailed on the Grand Line as a pirate. But she wasn't just any pirate; she was a member of the Straw Hat Pirates, a pirate group whose captain was said to be the Second King of the Pirates." Dark Skull looked closely at Mark before standing up, his right hand moving to readjust his hat. "With these resources, I will resurrect the Grand Line, and then I will sail the whole thing, earning my right to be the Third Pirate King!"

Mark shifted up again, cringing due to the pain. "That's insane. There's no way that's true! A Dead Sea? Impossible! This is the real world. There are no such things as supernatural seas, Pirate Kings, or... 'Devil Fruits'!" He stumbled over the last item, doubting himself, as he had just witnessed this "impossibility" that were "Devil Fruits". He worked up the strength to stand up, recovering once more from the shock, as he braced himself. He grasped the sword that he had dropped. He was done listening to this man babble; he was ready to fight for all those he had hurt. "Your reasoning's are beside the point. You still haven't told me who you are," he stated before lunging at Dark Skull. "IT'S QUITE RUDE NOT TO ANSWER QUESTIONS WHEN ASKED!" the Captain shouted as he brought his sword down upon the pirate. The swing was sloppy due to his exhaustion and was quickly blocked by the pirate's axe. Dark Skull pushed against their locked weapons, overpowering Mark. Mark went flying backwards. The force of the push made the Captain hit the cabin wall once more with an anguished cry before he fell forward onto his face. The Captain pushed himself enough only to watch helplessly as Dark Skull teleported around the ship, grabbing anything of use to him before teleporting it back to his boat. After finishing his task, he ambled back over to the fallen Captain. One hand rested upon the hat on his head, as his eyes gazed upwards to the endless blue sky. Dark Skull closed his eyes for a second, seeming to take in the serenity of the day.

"If you must know so desperately...," he said quietly as he turned to look down at Mark, "...my full name is Gerald D. Nico."

After revealing this information, the pirate vanished. Mark too looked up at the endlessly blue sky, pondering the information he had just learned,' knowing that his job was about to get a whole lot harder.


	3. Chapter 3

The train sped along the iron tracks, jumping and hitting bumps every so often as bright green, rolling hills seemed to skip past. The train whistles, expelling smoke from the smoke stack. It's an old style passenger train with a coal car next to the engine car, and four additional passenger cars attached to the coal car. The train was a glossy red, which shined brightly when hit by the light of the sun.

Sitting in the way back compartment on the left side of the third train car, sat a teenage girl, maybe 16-17 years of age. She was of average height and size, not short, but not exactly tall either. Her long blonde hair was tied up into a ponytail. Her bright blue eyes stared out into the country, filled with excitement and good memories. She wore black jeans, and a black tee shirt. On top of her shirt she wore a fall jacket was the same bright blue as her eyes; on her feet were simple, black and white sneakers.

She was smiling, even chuckling to her self. She had made it pretty far, especially for someone like her. Her name was Karen Lakeview, of course Lakeview wasn't her real last name, just one she had came up with. She was an orphan since she was born, never knowing who her parents were, or if they were even alive. She grew up in New York City in an orphanage during her younger years, then on the streets as a teenager.

 **(Flashback time!)**

She wasn't a delinquent however, nor was she a drug addict, alcoholic (but she'll admit to having a drink or two, nobody's perfect after all), or any form of "Ghetto"; she just did what she had to do to survive. It was a lonely, depressing life. Walking the streets, doing odd jobs here and there, finding shelter for the night, it was by no means a good life. For the longest time, she was depressed, knowing full well the world didn't need her for anything. Even here in the present, there are days were she cries herself to sleep, like she used to all those years ago.

What's more is she was ridiculed by everyone that was kind to her, she was called many things, "cursed", "possessed", even the "Devils Slave". She didn't mean for bad things to happen, honest she didn't. When an elderly couple took her in for a couple of days, the wife died of illness, and the man was chased out of his own home, from a column of smoke, which only seemed to go after him. Another time, a man let her stay in his soup kitchen; the other man working there was a, well asshole for lack of a better word. One day he pushed Karen off to the side, making her fall into the hot stove, scalding her arms and back. She was in immense pain, on the floor crying, once again wanting her life to end right there, when suddenly a chill ran up her burnt side, her pain ceased, the burns seemed to heal right in front of her, the only sounds she could hear were a slight ringing, and the rapid healing burn wound, as it shed old, dead skin, then replaced it with new skin almost instantly. The owner came in and after assisting the man and finding out what had happened, kicked her out, screaming and calling her satanic.

She sat on the street, two blocks from the ex home of a kitchen, crying. She sat and cried for what seemed to be hours, thinking she wasn't needed, thinking of the _**other option.**_ It was almost evening, and yet, she continued to sit on the curb, her eyes red and puffy, while her sobs reduced to pitiful sniffles.

"Are you quite alright ma'am?" A timid, older voice inquired.

Oh great, Karen thought to herself, another person I can curse.

"Yes I'm fine," she replies, wiping away the last of her tears, " just got a bit lost is all."

The old man smiled and small, yet heart-warming smile.

"I don't think they will let you back in that soup kitchen, even if you 'find' your way back"

Karen was astonished, how did he...?

"Let's get something for you to eat, shall we?"

 **At a simple restaurant**

No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get a good read on this stranger. He was a tall, elderly man with a long grey beard and equally long grey hair, he was wearing a simple grey cloak, and so far, Karen's "curse" hasn't killed, scared, mentally broken, Physically broken, or in any way harmed this man, which was impressive to say the least. He had just ordered tea, stating that he wasn't hungry. She however ordered a large steak with a large order of fries and TWO drinks (when on the streets, you don't eat regularly, and she wasn't exactly looking to impress those days) all paid for by the mystery man. "Are you sure it's okay I get anything I want? I don't want to be rude," she asked. The man chuckles a little, "your fine my dear, get what you like." The food came, and Karen ate like a beast, clean sweeping the plates.

"Could I hear your story?" The man said calmly, Karen, who usually didn't discuss her problems (mainly because they involved the "curse" and all the misery it brought her), was too busy eating the _**really**_ good food in front of her to care, so she told him everything, her life, her memories, her "incidents". The old man kept a calm, emotionless face, and listened to every word.

The waitress came up to the table with a small cup of tea, which he accepted politely. "That's quite some story, it's really is impressive that you survived out here for this long without being able to control your _gifts._ " Karen laughed," gifts? You mean curse-that-ruined-my-life right?" She looked up at him with a huff, "Besides what's it to you, your just an old man.

The man smiles, stirs his tea, and then folded his hands together, resting them on the table. "Now do you honestly think your the only one with these gifts?" He asks quietly. Karen blanched for a moment and sat there, staring, amazed. Not by the words he said, nor by the delicious food, but at his teacup.

 **The spoon was string the tea by itself**

Karen stuttered, glancing between the cup and the man across from her, "Did you... and how..."

"Like I said my dear," the man said, "You are not the only one with these powers, in fact, there is a whole other world filled with people like yourself" He pulls out a simple white envelope out of, well _nowhere_ and hands it to the awe-struck girl. "As it so happens, I work for a school for youths much like yourself, and we often monitor people like you ma'am, who don't have a home or way to get there." Karen studies the envelope closely, _a school for people like me_ huh? Karen looks up, questionably "what are you saying exactly?" The now **really strange** old man smiles yet again, saying promptly "well to put it simply, I'm offering you a scholarship, but more importantly, I'm offering you a _**home**_ , one free from persecution of your powers. So, what do you say?" She was speechless, _a new school, a new life? What dream was she in?_

The man got up and put on his English style hat, "of course you have time to think it over. How about this, I'll be back hear next Tuesday, and if you decide you want to attend I'll take you with me, and if you don't you can portend we never met. Does that sound reasonable?

Karen once again studied the envelope, she raised her head to ask a question, but when she looked, he was gone, leaving her, the envelope, and her thoughts.

 **(End Flashback!)**

Karen chuckled to herself, remembering that day. After that day six years ago her whole life changed, she went to school, learned about powers beyond imagination, made new friends, and finally, after so long, found a home.

And now, for the last time she was going to school, it was senior year and she couldn't wait to see everyone again. Finally she was going back to the place she called home for so many years.

Finally, she was going back to **Hogwarts**.


	4. Chapter 4

For many, the Sahara Desert is a place of immense heat and sometimes, death. However, for the people of the New Village Hidden in the Sand, it is home. To them the vast ocean of sand is their sacred grounds, their traditions, their hopes and dreams, their strength and will to live.

The sand village has existed for over three hundred years now. In fact, the entire village was preparing for its third centennial celebration. Men were putting up decorations in the streets, while women and children made cakes, pies and other treats. The streets of the village were extremely active with children playing and couples walking together, sharing each other's company. Merchants were preparing and cleaning their booths in preparation for the party later that night.

Akio Kankurō was minding his own business, walking down the street and taking in all the festivities. He was dressed in simple standard issue shinobi attire with the sand village headband tied around his left arm, just above the elbow. On his back were two large, gourd shaped containers. One was a sand color yellow, the other a simple brown. He was fairly tall and in his early 20's. He had long red hair and light green eyes. He wore sleek, rectangular glasses that turned to shades when in the sun.

He turned left into a side street and began to scour the back streets. He was looking for his students who were supposed to meet at the village HQ. ' _You know, when they moved me up to the rank of jōnin and gave me my own genin squad to lead. I didn't think it would be this much trouble keeping them in line,'_ he thought with an irritated look on his face.  
' _Oh well... Guess it can't be helped. Besides, I was just as wild when I was in their shoes... I just can't wait to get back to Megan_...' Akio reached for the pendant that dangled from his chest and opened it, revealing a black and white picture of a very attractive female with the warmest smile you would ever see. Megan and he had been dating for three years now, and next week was their anniversary. While looking for his delinquent students, Akio thought of potential gifts for his love. ' _Flowers...? Nah, too cliché...A necklace maybe...? Crap! No, I gave that to her last year. Hmmm. Oh! I know! She's been dying to go on vacation! I'll head to the travel agency to try and book a trip. I'll have to take off work though... I hope she'll like that._ ' He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small black ring box. ' _In any case, good present or no, this anniversary will be one to remember_.' He smiled at the thought, staring at the tiny box that meant so much more and then put the ring away to look for his students.

When he finally turned back on a main road, he heard sounds of chaos, crashing, and a lot of screaming coming towards him. He sighed, shaking his head, already quite aware who the most likely culprits were. He casually leaned against the alley wall closest to him. 'What did those idiots do this time!' he thought exasperated. Akainu was the first to reach him with Kirito and Kuzan at his heels. The short, raven-haired boy bowed deeply and pleadingly begged to him. "Akio-sama, help, please! It's trying to kill us!"

"What happened?" Akio asked, becoming more annoyed than he already was.

"We didn't hurt anyone," Kuzan, who was slightly taller than Akainu with blond hair butted in, " we were merely playing a joke!"

"Besides," Kirito, the shortest of the group with brown hair defended, "those melons weren't even fresh enough to sell. We just wanted to practice our Jutsu..."

"Where did you..."? Akio questioned before thinking for a second. When he finally (and unfortunately) put two and two together, he began to turn an alarming shade of white. "Wait a second! Please don't tell me you pissed her off! Did you?" he asked desperately, hoping his students weren't stupid enough to incite the rage of the most fearsome woman in the village.  
Akio didn't need an answer when he heard a loud voice behind him screech,

"THERE YOU ARE, YOU LITTLE SHITS! OH! WOULD YOU LOOK AT THAT! IF IT ISN'T LITTLE BRAT AKIO, HELPING THEM VANDALIZE MY STORE HUH? WELL THEN, I'll JUST HAVE TO BEAT YOUR ASS TOO!"

Akio jumped and turned around. His face fell as the familiar elderly woman came around the corner, running as though she was half her age and very, very angry.

The woman had thick curly white hair, blue jeans, a white T-shirt, a purple apron, and a broom, which was taller than her, in her hand.

"Old woman Kate..." Akio muttered, trembling in fear. Then with sudden courage, not noticing their teacher's sudden fear, the three boys jumped in front of Akio, ready to fight.  
"Yeah!" they said in unison. "Now with our master here, you can't touch us. Akio is a jōnin and could easily wipe the floor with you old hag!" Akainu stated haughtily, standing up to the angry woman. The boys started to laugh. Akainu started to turn to his master saying, "Come on, Akio-sama, let's..." but when he turned completely, he stopped talking and quietly muttered to himself, "Oh, Shit." The others boys turned around as well. Akio had vanished.

 **On a nearby street**

Akio ran as fast as his legs would take him. The only thought he could process was "Oh shit. Oh shit. Oh shit. Oh shit." There was an explosion behind him, and when he looked up, he saw Kazan's crippled body flying 12 feet up in the air. "OH SHIT! OH SHIT! OH SHIT!" his cries escalated in fear as he forced himself to run faster. Another explosion came to his attention, this one right in front of Akio. It made him skid to a stop, startling him from his swears fest. When the dust settled, he stared in horror at Kirito's broken body, " _She's throwing them at me!?_ " He ducked, trying to avoid the incoming projectile that was Kuzan, and failed. Kuzan's body impacted with his own, forcing Akio painfully into the dusty ground. "FUCK ME! FUCK ME! FUCK ME!" he screamed, panicking as he shoved his student's body off him. He was about to run when Kate suddenly cut off his escape route. She had her broom in her left hand and was dragging Akainu's bloody body with her right. Her eyes were bright with an angry red gleam. She stared into his soul and screamed, brandishing her broom,

"FOUND YOU, AKIO-BRAT!"

Akio sighed, staring in fear at the enraged monster in his path, "Well, shit..."

 **At Megan's and Akio's house**

Megan had crouched down to grab her cat, Snuggles, when suddenly there was a knock at the door. She proceeded to put the cat down, brush off her bright, floral dress, and quickly fuss with her long, shining blonde hair. She opened the door and almost immediately regretted doing it.

' _Oh dear_ ,' she thought to herself, watching in awe as Old Woman Kate had Akio and his student, Akainu, behind her, bloody and sprawled out on the ground.

"Keep your man and his pets in check, or next time I won't go easy on them," the old lady grumbled, walking away with her blood stained broom.

"This was her going easy?" Megan muttered incredulously to herself, pushing up her sleeves in order to drag her boyfriend inside.

Later, Akio woke up to Megan making lunch. "Good afternoon, my dear," Akio shakily said, trying to relearn how to walk, as he slowly got up from the couch. "Hello, honey, would you like anything to eat?" she asked, turning her head away from the stove. "No, I'm fine. Thank you though," Akio said as he regained some of his motor function. Megan eyed him with worry and inquired, "Are you sure you're okay?" Akio laughed at this and spoke, "I'm fine, sweetie. She was way more vicious to me when I was young." She smiled for a split second, then turned off the stove and directly faced Akio. "I'm afraid I have some bad news," she said, as a small frown appeared on her face.

"The Kazekage has summoned you; it's for a B-ranked mission next week."

Akio rushed up to her, putting his hands on her smooth shoulders. "But, Megan," he started to protest, "next week is our anniversary! I can't leave you! No. I won't leave you. I'm talking to him; he has to reconsider." He tried to rush out in anger when Megan grabbed his collar, turned him toward her, and gave Akio a long, passionate kiss.

"You know more then anyone else that a direct summons from the Kazekage is extremely important, especially if he's personally assigning you a mission," she said with a weak smile, keeping her arms loosely wrapped around Akio.

"But, Megan..." Akio started attempting to protest.

Megan quickly interrupted, "No buts! Besides, we can always celebrate afterwards. Right? It's only one anniversary."

Akio sighed hesitantly at her reasoning, "Yeah... I guess you're right."

' _But I was going to propose..._ ' he thought depressed before his train of thought was derailed as Megan spoke up and shoved him towards the door. "Now get going, silly! He may not be Old Woman Kate, but he's still not someone you keep waiting." He chuckled at this, submitting to Megan's order. "Alright. I'll go there now. I love you," he said, right before dashing back to her and giving her yet another kiss.

As he pulled away, she looked into his eyes with a sense of calm and the most affectionate smile. "I love you too. Now don't be late!" she said as she turned to a side table and grabbed an apple, laughing before she then chucked it at his head, startling him. "Seriously. Get going," she smirked, pointing to the door. He laughed, holding up his hands in a gesture of peace, as he walked backwards toward the door. 'This mission better not take long. I want to get back home as soon as possible,' he thought to himself, as he turned, closing the door behind him, preparing himself for the mission ahead. 


	5. Chapter 5

The Hogwarts Express raced down the tracks, leaving a red brick tunnel. The wind teasingly tugged the billowing smoke that escaped its long smoke stack. The green, rolling hills of the British countryside continued on as the landscape slowly bled into the familiar thickening forests and mountainsides that surrounded Hogwarts. Here within the racing train laid one of our familiar heroine's, Karen. Karen laid in one of the train compartments' vast seats, not at all caring that she took up the whole left row. Her cloak was draped loosely around her. Her left arm pillowed under her head with her right arm dangling haphazardly off the side as she snored lightly. Her eyes were tightly closed, taking a long and much needed rest. Her rest was the most peaceful she had had in months. It lacked her more common nightmares, the grabbing hands, the faceless figures, and the vicious shouts of '"Demon!." Being magical wasn't always that magical as she had experienced. Muggles were not always kind to her as years ago, her unknown power and magical misfires had produced a lot of conflict in her early years before her 11th birthday. Instead, she now dreamed of echoing laughter within Hogwarts hallways with friends, flying on her broomstick, winning the house cup, and every magic filled moment that made her smile over the past six years

Suddenly, she was ripped out of her lovely dreams by a sharp tap on her nose. A small, pebble like object had struck her on the nose. Karen scrunched her nose angrily, snarling as she flailed her right arm in a half-hearted attempt to strike whoever had dared to wake her up. After feeling nothing, she groaned and let her arm fall defeated to the floor. Several seconds later she felt another pebble strike her forehead as a cute little giggle echoed in the quiet of her compartment. Karen sat up groggily, still half-asleep. "Who...?" she questioned, before she could complete her inquiry, suddenly another pebble object hit her on the cheek. "HEY!" Karen shouted, red faced and angry. Her eyes flashed with an angry light as she was now fully awakened. "WHOEVER IS DOING THAT," she started before breaking off suddenly. She looked at the person before her, stunned for a moment, before a grin formed on her face, stretching from ear to ear. "MINA!" Karen cried, wrapping her arms around her close friend. Mina chuckled a little at her friend eagerness, "Okay! Okay. You don't have to tackle me!"

Mina Urgenturf was the nicest, most genuine person in all of Hogwarts, and she was Karen's best friend. In fact, she was Karen's only friend until around her second year. Lauren was about as tall as Karen, with bright blonde hair and emerald green eyes that sparkled merrily when exposed to any kind of light. She was a prefect this year and was extremely proud of it, in her own humble, quiet way. Lauren had always been an A student in every subject. This made Karen somewhat jealous at times, even though her own grades weren't that terrible. She knew her pride was the problem and always made sure to shrug it off.. Everybody loved Mina and she had no enemies whatsoever. Not that any enemies would ever exist to harm Lauren, if Karen had anything to do about it. Even some of the creeps in Slytherin didn't mind her, and Karen should know; she had to deal with that lot of idiots on a daily basis.

 **Karen** : Stupid sorting hat...putting me in Slytherin...*grumbles angrily*

 **DarkSkull43** : Um, excuse me. I'm trying to write here.

 **Karen** : Sorry. It's just that Lauren got into Ravenclaw. It's not fair Author! Why am I the one stuck with the crap luck?!

 **Jerry** : *Ambles aimlessly onstage, holding large plate of meat* DUDE! *Sticks large bite in mouth.*Fis meafoaf fis deficiousss! *Gulps loudly* you make this, man? What's in this thing?!

 **DarkSkull43** : *Laughs happily* Well, if you most know, I used... Hey... Wait a minute. GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY KITCHEN! BOTH OF YOU! OUT!

 **Jerry** : Make me! *Brandishes fork threateningly*

 **DarkSkull43** : FINE *Ominous clouds, Cue lightning strike.*

 **In a random part of the ocean**

Jerry suddenly feels a cold shiver slip up his spine. He has just contracted erectile dysfunction.

_  
 **DarkSkull43** : Ready to leave yet?

 **Jerry** : *Glares angrily* ...That was just cruel...

 **DarkSkull43** : YOU'RE NOT REAL! GET OUT!

 **Jerry** : (Mutters to himself and waves arms angrily while leaving)

 **DarkSkull43** : You too, Karen.

 **Karen** : Okay! FINE! Sorting hat's still stupid...

 **DarkSkull43** : OUT!

 **Karen** : I'm going! I'm going! You don't have to yell! *Closes door*

 **DarkSkull43** : *Sigh* I hate arguing with myself.

After Karen dressing in her school uniform, Mina and she talked for hours about their summers. Well okay, they talked about Mina's summer most of the time, seeing how Karen's summer involved part-time jobs, sleeping in sketchy areas, and sometimes having to beat the living shit out of undesirables trying to perform VERY undesirable actions on HER, but that's beside the point.

Lauren had once offered Karen to stay at her house, but that turned into a nightmare all on its own. Lauren's family was one of the wealthier families in the wizarding world, not super famous or powerful, but certainly above middle class. Karen first entered Mina's home during her second year at Hogwarts while on winter holiday. Upon entering, she knew that the home was more qualified to be a mansion than a home, and as she looked around, she knew instantly she was going to break something. The main hall was decked out in the colors of Hufflepuff, with bright yellows and dark earthy tones. Most of the Mina's family came from the friendly house. Fine curtains hung atop large windows that looked out upon the Urgenturf's lush gardens. Soft, yet elegant carpets and rugs lie upon the dark hardwood floors, and display cases filled with family pictures, fine china, other antiques, trophies from school, and expensive "knick knacks"(as puts it) lined the hallways. To make a long story short, during that long weekend she had knocked over three display cases, set seven things on fire (including 's hair), flooded the butlers' quarters with two headed rats, and proved that she had no fine dining table manners whatsoever. Even through all of that, the Urgenturf family still welcomed her with open arms and forgave her for her various magical and non-magical mishaps. Unfortunately, the servants were not so patient and forgiving, making a return visit to Lauren's home rather awkward.

Besides, Karen didn't mind city living that much. Sure, she was still on the streets, but it was only for the summer. The fact that she had Hogwarts to look forward to made the summer all the more bearable. Her newfound freedom to practice magic at will was also immensely helpful, as her Trace had been lifted the previous year on her seventeenth birthday. After about three more hours of travel, the train screeched to a halt at the Hogwarts platform. Karen almost leapt out of her seat. There was so much to do, people to talk to, friends to meet up with. She also had to beat the living hell out of the female Slytherin underclassmen, so that they didn't talk behind her back in the dorms. She had already seen the dirty looks shot at her from those who had heard of her and the "disgrace" that she was bringing to her house. Lots of people had tried to put her down, but the angry New Yorker always put them back in their place, unwilling to give into the hatred of others. It was to the point that her fellow upperclassmen went out their way to go around her bed, going as quickly and quietly as they could, in an attempt to not wake the beast.

Once everyone left the train, the older students boarded the carriages and were taken to the castle, as the first years were lead to cross the lake in the traditional fashion. Karen followed the rest of her peers into the castle and to the Great Hall, which even after all these years still astounded Karen with its beauty. The sorting took place after they all gathered. The small, frightened first years stood in line awaiting the decision of their future house. The line soon dwindled until each one had been sorted. The Slytherin house had gotten a rather large amount of interesting first years this year. Of course, Slytherin always had the most interesting individuals, so it wasn't that much of a surprise. After Headmaster Dippet said a few words, the Hall began dinner, which, once again, had the best food Karen had ever eaten. Soon dessert appeared, replacing their delicious meals. Karen dug in without hesitation. As she was about to take a large bite out of particularly good-looking apple tart, her friend Arthur slid into the open seat next to her. Arthur was one of the new Slytherin prefects this year, and a good friend to Karen. He grinned mischievously before reaching over and taking a portion of the tart. Karen yelped and glared. She quickly swatted at his arm before hovering protectively over what was left of the tart. Arthur merely laughed at her antics. "How was your summer, Karen?"

"Oh, you know, the usual street rat thing. How was yours?"

"It was great!" he exclaimed as his eyes lit up with excitement. "Last month, I finally scrounged up enough money for a new broom." He motioned to the special broom bag that was slung over his shoulder.

"Lucky dog!" Karen said, a twinge of jealousy in her voice. "I've been dying to get one of my own; I always have to use the school brooms..."

"Don't you have any money?"

"Does American currency count in the wizarding world?"

Arthur laughed at this. "I suppose not. But I bet that after you graduate, you can get a job in the wizarding world. Have you thought about life after Hogwarts yet?"

"I'm not really sure yet," she replied, looking down at her empty plate. She hadn't really thought much about a future beyond Hogwarts, even though it was her last year. "I was thinking I'd-"

Suddenly, the sound of electricity came from behind the pair. The two turned as an unfortunate Hufflepuff first year whizzed past them, desperately trying to extinguish the green flames that licked at the ends of his robes. Arthur and Karen scowled and stood in unison. Looking for the ones that had caused the trouble, they rushed to the Great Hall's massive entranceway. The pair pulled their wands from within their robes as they witnessed a group of individuals rushing around a corner of a corridor that led away from the Great Hall. The two sprinted off after the group, following the trail of loud snickering and laughter. Meanwhile, another Slytherin prefect went after the frightened first year with a counter curse. Arthur and Karen followed the group down the corridors and onto the massive moving stairways. The two caught up slightly to the group before they reached the top of the stairs where the individuals sprinted off and down another corridor. As soon as Karen and Arthur reached the top the stairway, it started to move. Karen angrily slammed her fist onto the railing of the stairs, as she snarled the name, Ian, viciously. Arthur leaned against the railing, panting as they waited for the stairs to rotate again.

"Ian!" Karen growled. "Why does he always try and get our house in trouble?"

Ian Mathews was, without a doubt in Karen's mind, the most annoying, self-centered asshole in all of Hogwarts. Ian, along with his friends Jay and Vince, basically terrorized everyone, including students from Slytherin house. They had even been known to mess with prefects and had received multiple threats of expulsion. Despite this, there were really only two people that Ian never tried to mess with. First, there was Mina. He had a huge crush on her and would try to act cool and tough, even when he'd be picking on other students. She did not at all appreciate the attention.

Oh yeah, and Karen.

They were terrified of Karen.

"Arthur..."

Arthur looked up and saw that the stairs had come back around. He smiled turning to his friend and froze. He could see the bloodlust in her eyes. His own eyes widened, and he inwardly began to panic.

"Karen, calm down. Please think abo-"

"That broom of yours sure looks heavy..."

"Karen, please reconsider. We can just go tel-"

"What's my 'beating the crap out of Ian' speed record? "

"...53 seconds, but I still thin-"

"Start the timer." And with that, Karen snagged Arthur's new broom out of the case on his back and zipped down the hallway, going so fast that Arthur didn't have a hope of trying to stop her.

Looking dejectedly down the empty corridor, Arthur hung his head,"...I liked that broom..." Arthur then sighed a deep, long sigh and started towards the infirmary, as to warn Madam Pomfrey of the soon to be three person body count.

Meanwhile, Karen zipped down hallways and corridors, very much enjoying herself. Unfortunately for Ian, Karen was one of the best broom riders at Hogwarts and was the best Chaser of the Slytherin quidditch team. Her skills dazzled everyone. She was best known for her ability to stand on her broom for extended periods of time while flying it. The students had affectionately nicknamed her trick "broom surfing". After turning right down another corner, the chaser spotted the idiotic trio.

"Hiya, boys!" she screamed out as she barreled down the hallway after them with a dark smile, "I hope you worked on your cardio this summer!"

Ian and his cronies turned around. Upon seeing the Broom Surfer, they all turned as white as ghosts. They began to run faster, but Karen hopelessly outmatched them on a broom. Karen dismounted her broom, blocking their escape. She hefted the broom over shoulder in a threatening manner, eager to give the boys a taste of karma for their attack on the poor first year. Just as she was about to pounce, a dark streak cut in front of her, making her stop the assault. The streak circled back again before landing on the top of Arthur's broom. Karen whined exasperatedly, "Thoth, can't you see I'm busy?"

Thoth was Karen's owl that she had gotten as a Christmas present from Professor Dumbledore. Although, Thoth was different from the other owls in the sense that while most were brown or snow white, Thoth was pitch black with unusual purple streaks the went down the front of his wings. After cooing a bit and insisting to be pet, (Thoth best loved being petted on his head and neck), he flew up to eye level and dropped an envelope into his master's hands. After doing his job, the dark bird sped down the corridor, retreating back to the Owlery. Karen studied the envelope for a quick second. Finding no address, she ripped it open, and was greeted by a simple note which read:

 _See me immediately._

 _\- Dumbledore_

'Dumbledore? What would the professor want?' Karen thought to herself. 'But that didn't matter,' she thought, 'If he needs to see me, then that's that. After all, he did bring me here...'

"Well, let's see what he wants," she mumbled to herself distractedly.

 **Dumbledore's Office**

Professor Albus Dumbledore was at his desk, getting ready for the mound of papers that needed to be graded for the next day. He picked up his quill ready to begin dissecting the first parchment when a knock at the door disturbed his concentration. "Come in," he shouted, looking up at his new visitor. "Hello?" came Karen's hesitant voice from the half open door. She peered in and saw her favorite professor. A smile stretched across her face, "You needed to see me, sir?"

"Ah, yes. Hello, Karen. How was your summer? I do hope you didn't have any trouble in the city. I really do wish you would have taken my offer to stay with a friend of mine here, close to the school."

"Professor, I'm fine in New York. Really, I am. Besides, I would've been bored out of mind, here. The noise of the city is actually calming for me," she reassured as she walked toward his desk and sat down in the chair across from him.

The old teacher chuckled at this, "You have always been an oddball, here, haven't you." At this, Karen smiled wider, sticking her tongue out, playfully. "You know it!" she laughed. Albus laughed a great big laugh. Then when both had settled down, he proceeded to get out of his chair and pace back and forth behind it, looking down in thought.

"Now, Karen, I didn't call you here just to reminisce about the old days. I called you to ask a favor, an important one at that."

Karen stared at him with a puzzled expression. 'A favor?' "When we found you, when I found you, you were shunned by the rest of the world, an outcast to the muggles. There are many names for people like us. Many, many names." At this she cringed, remembering all the insults.

 _"Freak!"_

 _"Demon!"_

 _"Be gone, monster!"_

 _"Evil beast!"_

She folded her arms together and rubbed them as if it had gotten 40 degrees cooler. Her eyes clouded with sadness, lost in memory. Karen turned pale and tears welled up in her eyes, as she remembered those dark days. Through all that happened, the good and bad, it still shook up her up some days when she could no longer block them from her mind. Yet she refused to succumb completely and did not let her tears fall. As Dumbledore looked up at her, he could see the error he had made and hushed up on the topic. Waving his wand, he made a handkerchief float delicately toward her. Karen reached out and accepted it gratefully.

"Ahem, yes. Well, you can also probably guess that there are people like you in this world, gifted youths shunned for what they could do. I have found one such child recently, living in an orphanage, and needing help. He is alone Karen, so very much alone, and he needs help to get acquainted with this new world, this new life. This is where you come in. If it's not too much to ask, I would like you to tutor the young lad, not just in academics, but in social life as well. I ask you be his role model and his friend, so that he might have an easier transition between worlds than you did. Like I said, I know it is a big decision for you, but I do hope you at least give it a thought. Think about it as one muggle outcast to another."

Karen sat there, thinking about this offer. _'To help someone like me... Now, how could I refuse? If he went through even half of what I went through... Although something doesn't feel right... It's like there's a pit in the bottom of my stomach, like it's telling me it's a bad idea.'_ She looked down and the horrible memories of abuse and ridicule flooded her mind like a raging river of fire, flowing from the very pits of Hell itself. She remembered the evil looks and the names. ' _Oh, God. The names... No. No one should ever have to be subjected to that kind of torture. No matter what my gut tells me, I need to help this person.'_ "I-I'll do it," she responded quickly, "Where is he? When do I start?"

The concerned professor loomed over his student with worry, wondering if she was truly ready for this venture. He sighed and accepted the determination that shown in her eyes. "Well, he is actually here, if you would like to meet him." Dumbledore turned around with a smile on his face to look at his large bookshelves and called out into the room, "You can come out now." Out of the shadows of the room, came a small, Slytherin first year with ragged, dark hair. He was looking down, obviously shy of his new tutor. Karen stood up and walked over to him. The feeling in her gut tightened as she walked closer. _'There's something strange about this boy, something ominous, but that doesn't matter right now. He needs my help.'_ "Hi there!" she began, "My name's Karen Lakeview; I'll be helping you get adjusted." Karen smiled, trying to put on the most brilliant, heart-warming smile she could muster. The boy looked up and blushed, becoming ever shyer at the sight of her.

"H-h-hello," the boy finally spoke, stuttering over his words.

"M-m-my name is Tom Riddle. I-It's nice to meet you.


	6. Chapter 6

The office had a musky, dry air to it, while dust clung onto anything it could attached itself to, a large curved desk sat in the middle of the room, while all around it clutter was everywhere. Notes and scrolls with ancient symbols, which at the right angle seemed to glow say sprawled out onto the ground, like a sandstorm had blown in from the desert outside, claiming the space for itself.

The evening sun glowed and crept its way in from the large window at the back of the office, as a middle aged man in long white robes sat at his desk, reviewing files and various books and scrolls in between sentences. He sighed and proceeded to reach into the right bottom drawer of the desk, pulling out a small box of cigars, after a quick, but pleasurable smoke, he returned to his work, the scent of tobacco still pungent in the air. He reaches into the innards of his cloaks to reveal and silver pocket watch, the time read as 8:30. "Damn him," he said in a husky voice, " I called him 3 hours ago, where the hell is h-"

"Jeez if I knew you were going to be uptight about it I would have come sooner" a sarcastic voice comes from the right corner of the semi circular shaped room, nearest to the door. The robed man jumps in slight surprise, then scowls, and "Damn you, sometimes I wish you weren't a ninja, anyway what took you so long?" Akio stepped out of the corner, revealing an assortment of bandages and gauze wrappings. "Well," he said, a tinge of embarrassment came from his voice, while he scratched the back of his head, " I was about to come, then the Old Hag found me again..."

A smirk rang across the second man's face; he reclined in his chair as he laughed. "Still getting the snot beaten out if you by Kate huh, HA! To think you were a candidate for Kazekage," he laughed harder now, while Akio grumbled to himself. "What the hell do you want anyway?!" The embarrassed man yelled, ready beat the crap out of his "Highly Respectable" superior.

"Ha ha, what?, did I make you miss a hot date?" That comment thoroughly pissed off the damaged ninja, who stomped up to the Kazekage's desk lightly tossing a small blue box admits the unorganized papers and reports. "Actually," he retorted, anger flaring up his tone, "you did, Thanks jack-ass" Akio turned to leave, done talking to his boss, while the Kazekage picked up and inspected the ring box, now realizing what he had just said.

"How long have you two been together now, three years?"

Akio stopped at this, sensing that the man had felt sorry for what he had said, "Three years today...". the Kazekage sighed and stood up, he had known Akio his entire life, ever since they had first met in the academy all those years ago. "you know", he began "When you first rushed into my office like a bat out of hell to tell me you were now going out with Megan Hōseki, I thought you had taken a long walk into the desert!" he laughed at this, remembering the gleaming smile on his face, and the way he slid and crashed into his office that day yelling obscure, non-sensible cry's of joy. "ha.. and to think, Her of all people, the prettiest, smartest student in the academy with one of us slack-offs that would piss off the teacher just for the hell it," he walked toward his old friend now, clasping a hand onto his shoulder, "And now twelve years later, you're about to pop the question, and I became the fucking Kazekage for Christ sake!" Akio chuckled at this, bringing his head up.

"yeah, I didn't think they would accept you after the Scorpion Incident"

"Ha ha, the look on Sensei's face when he went into his house!"

"He was cleaning out scorpions for weeks until he finally found the summoning scroll!"

The men laughed and laughed, recalling old memories for what seemed to be an hour, acting like they did in school, just a bunch of slackers with wild dreams. "Ha ha, well I know you're dying to get back to her as soon as possible, so lets go over your mission." the Kazekage started for the door, ushering Akio to follow through the buildings hallways. "I warn you though," He began, "this will not be any easy mission, Megan told you it was B-class?"

"yeah"

"well I lied, didn't want her to panic. Its actually an A-class, maybe even higher"

"Higher?"

They stopped at a door on the left, almost on the other side of the building. "yes," the now serious leader said darkly, "higher" he opened the door to reveal a fellow sand ninja, or what was left of him

The body was a bloody mess, the limbs that were still attached hung off the eviscerated body. there were stab wounds all over him, even scorch marks that ran down his chest. the only arm still visible was missing its hand, and inverted. His skull was crimson red, as if he was scalped then drowned in his own blood. It looked more like a half decayed animal then it did the corpse of a Sand Ninja. "my God..." Akio was stunned, who could have done this...

"His name was Takara Suzume, a rookie just promoted to Joinin a month ago, he had called in to HQ a week ago sounding frantic, telling us he had information about his mission, information that was vital we know about, he never got the chance to tell us. We found him yesterday out in the desert" Kazekage explained. "what was his mission?" Akio inquired. " that's just it, he wasn't on a reconnaissance mission, or any form of a mission involving crucial information being and needing to be transmitted back to us, it was just a simple escort mission, which we have now found out that said target is dead, in the same fashion." the Kazekage then throws a bundle of files he had hidden in his coat at Akio, who started to inspect them. "those all are victim case files from the FBI, an American government organization," Kazekage continued, "all of them died a similar way, which leads to your mission" He handed the joinin a passport, a passenger ship ticket, and a slip of paper with the words "FBI Headquarters" and an address. "you are to go to Dakar in the country of Senegal a country off the coast, then sail to America to meet with two FBI agents working on those cases, reporting back to us whenever possible." The ninja stood there scanning the files for awhile before responding "alright, all of this makes sense, you want me to support the Americans' with what seems to be dangerous serial killer, which I've done things like this in the past, except for one thing that's been nagging at me" The Kazekage raises one eyebrow in curiosity, "and that is..."

"why is this an A-class mission, I can see this being a B mission or maybe a C mission with my students"

The Kazekage sat in serious silent.

"what makes this so serious, and why was he involved in thi-"

"His body was found inside the Barrier," The village leader interrupted with dread," we found him two miles inside:

"H-he was in..." Akio stuttered, complex shocked by this impossible action. The Barrier, The young ninja pondered, is the ultimate defense of the village, it keeps us hidden and all living creatures out within a five mile radius of the village walls...

"Are you saying we have a imposter here in the village, a murdering ninja?"

Kazekage looked up into his eyes, his look of dread, anger, and complete confusion made Akio worry all the more. "No, all available ninjas were reported in HQ the time of his death, and patrols saw no other people out in the desert" Akio fell to the floor, trying to process this information, "w-what are you saying?"

"Someone, or something found a way into the village, and killed him"

Kazekage now stood overlooking his soldier's course, perhaps blaming himself for what had happened. Meanwhile Akio had now regained his composure, standing up, "this mystery enemy now threatens the entire village, including Megan," he started for the door," I'll kill it myself"

"Akio!"

He froze, slowly turning his head back towards the direction of his boss. "There's more," He said, "he was a puppet ninja, but we never found it on him, the killer stole it. If ANY one were to find out how to use it, it could spell disaster for us all."

But by the time he finished, Akio was gone. Kazekage walked back to his office, staring out his wide outstretched window,

" A killer able to break the Barrier, versus Akio the Sand Fortress. Hmmm, things are going to get interesting..."

Meanwhile...

The insufferable groaning of the restrained sailors did little to affect Jerry's concentration as he tore through the files with eagerness. This was by far one of the best ships he had been on in the past month, hell, the past year seemed like. To Think, Jerry thought to him, I was starving to death nearly a day ago, and now I've found a government filled with international secrets and classified files! "Where were you men heading to anyway? this is a lot of information for just one man to read hmm?" As per the usual, he got the 'Kidnapped and Gagged Sailor Beaten half to death by a super powered freak with an axe' grunt, which after about five or six years of sailing on his own, Jerry has come up with two different meanings

1\. Oh!, why yes I would LOVE to tell you everything I know, because you're just so damn gentlemen like and obviously WAAAAY better looking. Want some tea?

Or

2\. LET ME GO SO I CAN STRANGLE YOU, YA NO GOOD SHIP KILLER! YOU'LL HANG FOR THIS!, I SWE- Ow Ow Ow everything hurts...

Jerry sighed, although he'd liked to think that the first one was correct, 5 out of 5 times it was the second one, probably...

 _The claws were playing_

 _Three of them were tossing the distinct green orb of a human soul, like it was a children's ball, as if it meant nothing at all. Two were whirling around and lashing out against each other, seemingly fighting like feral dogs sparing for leftover scraps after the kill. The other three were actually helping the "Master" with his work, turning the pages of various manuals and books, stirring strange liquids, even helping with sewing up the strange object their creator was slaving over..._

Jerry entered the darkly lit room, finding a dozen wooden cabinets filled with boxes, binder, folders, film reels, and cassette tapes. "Alright, let's start searching..." He walked to the first cabinet, blowing off the dust that painted the boxes and files...

 _Suddenly the door swung open, energetic and eager rays of light invaded the dark workroom, touching and invading any space it was allowed in its reach. "Master... We've found two more" the shadow figure opened a large box he was carrying, blinding light burst from it as a pair of spheres was visible, sparks jumping back and forth from itself. One was, Deep blue, a blue that made the very seas look bland and grey, the other a Baja like yellow, seeming the same color as sand, the "Sparks" on this one seemed more like shifting sand, ever changing, ever flowing..._

"Let's see... Victim files? No. Reports on corrupt government officials, nope. Flying mysterious objects? I'll keep that one"

 _Two of the talons bring the case to their working leader, "Excellent Mr. Fletch. tell me, where did this one come from exactly, doesn't look like any of the other 'gifted' "chuckled the Master, as he picked up the sand colored orb. "We found him during one of the hunts sir, he was defending a human, it took us weeks to finally kill him, even made us go out to the Sahara"_

Jerry was now onto the third cabinet, with little to no luck. "Damn..."

He kept searching through everything he could, "there's got to be something here, anything..."

 _A knock came at the door, which Mr. Fletch answered, whispering to whatever was on the other side. After a couple minutes he closed the door again, "more good news sir, very good news..." The shadow hackled," we've found them milord"_

The cabinet came down with a crash, knocking everything over, Jerry kicked the newly formed clutter in frustration, "Damn it all!" Jerry kicks another cabinet, He scanned every inch of the room until he finally stopped at the last shelf. "What do we have here?" The pirate said to himself. He pulls out a large metal box with a massive padlock, TOP SECRET was painted in black on the lid.

 _"Hehehehe, excellent..." The Master now stopped his work. His talons collie and snap at each other when he turns to fully face the shadow servant._

 _"Where are they, where is this 'school of gifted'?"_

Jerry read the files carefully, fully intrigued by what they had to say. "Eye witness accounts of strange incidents seemingly impossible feats... Flying men, people turning into various animals...", he puts down the file and continues on to the next report, "Reports of disappearing school children... Seemingly vanishing after running into pillar... Kings Cross Station..."

 _"In England sir, the entire civilization is well hidden from the non gifted, but with the souls we've collected so far, we have the power to avoid these defenses"_

 _The master grinned a long, psychotic looking grin, " to think, an entire nation of super humans, living right under Briton's nose, and you have the location of the academy?"_

 _"Yes Master, we only await your orders..."_

He puts the newly discovered items in a bag which was slung over his shoulder, "well this is my first lead in a year" Jerry thought openly to himself, as he navigated his way back to the deck of the ship, "that and I'm not really sure how flying disks will help me find a lost sea..." He jumps off the deck and lands on the Mary's Son, making the little boat sway violently in the sea. "So I guess it's been decided then", sitting down after adjusting the sails, "To Kings Cross Station!"

 _"Activate an entire division of Them, we begin our attack as soon as She is ready", the Master sits back down and proceeds to continue working, "Your target is the School of Gifted, bringing back lab rats, and any informational texts about their powers as you can find"_

 _"Yes milord, right away" the door swings close, the roar of the impact echoing in the room"_

 _" he he he, it's almost time to play my newest child..."_

 _"Almost time, Mein kleines Spielzeug..."_


End file.
